Mnemonic
A cross is carved above a mouth-shaped cave entrance. Moss covers every surface, the stone crumbles at a touch—everything here is impossibly old, untouched since ancient times. You can almost hear the cave mouth groaning with the weight of centuries.
Additional thoughts
Visualize the kanji structure: cross (十) sits directly on top of mouth (口). Picture a crumbling cave mouth with an ancient cross marker above it—millennia of decay make everything feel impossibly aged.Quick recall
A cross carved above a mouth-shaped cave—impossibly old.Details
The keyword for 古 is old. This kanji conveys the sense of something ancient, aged, or from long ago, referring to things that have existed for a considerable period of time. It carries connotations of antiquity and the passage of time, often used to describe objects, traditions, or eras that belong to the distant past. It can also imply something that is outdated or no longer new.
- On'yomi
- こ
- Kun'yomi
- ふる.い、ふる-、-ふる.す